Thanks
to Brownie Girl Scout Troop # 2112, Framingham's bronze Civil War soldier,
is cleaned, polished, and ready for another 130 years of duty in front
of the Edgell Memorial Library.

The badly tarnished statue, designed by Martin Milmore in 1872, was
damaged by acid rain and the Hurricane of 1938.

While
in pursuit of a new Girl Scout Save Outdoor Sculpture!(SOS!) patch,
the troop raised awareness of the need to rescue the eroding statue.
The troop. guided by Assistant Troop Leader Charlene Frary, inspired
parents, friends, the Framingham Tercentennial Commission, Framingham
students, and Civil War reenactors to work on and donate funds for the
statue's cleaning and conservation.

Their
combined efforts raised the $ 16,000 needed through grants and many,
many private parties.

The
troop won several awards. They were the first troop in the U.S. to receive
the SOS! patch. They also were recognized with awards from SOS!, including
the 2000 SOS! National Award for Community Awareness in a Project.

Their
efforts were so outstanding that representatives from The National
Endowment for the Arts,The Museum of Fine Arts, and the
Massachusetts Historical Commission, as well as SOS!sponsor Target
Stores, attended the rededication ceremony on April 28.

The
troop was also honored with a 2001 Massachusetts Historical Commission
Preservation award presented by Secretary of State William Galvin at
a ceremony
at the Massachusetts Archives Building on May 31. The troop was nominated
for the award by State Senator David Magnani. Sen. Magnani's aide, Stephanie
Mercandehti, was particularly instrumental in the nomination process.
Mercandehti greeted the troop and presented them with individual copies
of the award certificate.

Secretary
Galvin particularly singled out the Brownies and commended them on their
efforts. While the audience was asked to hold its applause until the
end of a slide show of the award winning projects, there was a spontaneous
eruption of cheers and clapping when the Brownie's soldier project came
on the screen.The
recipient of the Outstanding Individual Achievement Award, former State
Rep. George G. Burke, also commended the girls.

The
Brownies attend the Charlotte Dunning School and Dunning Principal Marilyn
Shepherd accompanied them to the ceremony. Dr. Mary Murphy, Framingham
Historical Commissioner, Dr. Joan Mickelson Lukash, Director of the
Framingham Historical Society Museum, Debbie Cleveland, an active fundraiser
for the project, and parents and wellwishers were also on hand.

The
girls have inspired efforts to restore the Edgell Memorial Library,
which originally housed the soldier statue.

The
Edgell Library was built as a memorial to Framingham's many Civil War
servicemen. The statue was in the front area of the library, known as
"Memorial Hall." One story has it that the librarians got
tired of men jokingly asking why they had to take off their hats inside
the building, if the soldier didn't. Some years after the library was
built, one of its benefactors donated half of the funds to buy the granite
pedestal the statue now stands on and persuaded the Town of Framingham
to pay for the other half. That is why the statue was moved outside
and has been subject to the elements.

Thanks
go to the Brownies and Frary for their inspiration, persistance, and
hard work to save one of Framingham's sculptural treasures. You go girls!
(...and watch out world! These girls are already something!)